Battle Hymn of the Tiger Mother

By your definition of a “good parent,” does Chua become a better parent to Sophia and Lulu after adding two dogs to her family? Why or why not? How do the dogs affect her parenting style?

Chua’s text incurred considerable controversy. To what extent do you believe that this controversy was warranted? To what extent do you believe that this controversy was rooted in racist or sexist beliefs and stereotypes? Provide examples to support your claims.

How does this text conform to or subvert genre expectations for memoirs? How does this memoir demonstrate the difference between Chua the writer and Chua the character and narrator?

Chua hints that she includes far less about her husband in this memoir than she could have. Why might Chua make this decision, and how does it contribute to the themes of her memoir?

To what extent do Lulu and Sophia forge their own identities, as portrayed in the memoir? Are they equally successful in doing so? To what extent has Chua influenced this similarity or separation?

The Chua-Rubenfeld family is wealthy, and their parenting and lifestyle reflect this. Is Chua’s parenting advice accessible for families who do not possess her level of wealth? Within this text, does privilege triumph over meritocracy? Provide examples to support your claims.

What rhetorical impact do the descriptions of Tiger Zodiac sign at the beginning of Parts 1-3 have on the reader’s expectations for the text? What does Chua’s reliance on Zodiac imagery suggest about how Chua sees destiny versus self-determination?

To what extent does Chua’s vision of parenting align with how her own parents raised her? Does she construct a model of Chinese parenting that is actually stricter than the one she experienced as a child? If so, why?